Air Pollution And Your Health: The Silent Killer
Air pollution is defined as contamination of the air that modifies the natural characteristics of the air. While many things contribute to air pollution, we will focus on the pollution caused by fossil fuels. We all know that fossil fuels contribute to climate change, but what is less well-known is that air pollution from fossil fuels kills over 8 million people annually.¹ This immediate health effect should not be ignored. In the US, 350,000 premature deaths a year are attributed to fossil fuel pollution, with Pennsylvania having one of the highest rate of deaths per capita.¹
Types of Air Pollution
PM 2.5
Particulate pollution, especially below 2.5 micrometers, known as PM 2.5, is particularly harmful to our health because particles this small can penetrate the lung barrier and get into our blood.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) have multiple sources, both indoors and out. Fossil fuels are a major source of VOCs, through incomplete burning or evaporation. They also contribute to creating ozone, which also irritates lungs.
Effects of Air Pollution
Asthma attacks are frightening. If you have ever had difficulty breathing, you know how scary it can be. Asthma causes people to miss work and school and increases everyone’s medical insurance costs. Fossil fuel particulates are a primary cause of asthma. Additionally, air pollution from fossil fuels can cause and exacerbate other respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. It can cause lung cancer and diabetes. There are also neurological effects from the burning of fossil fuels. Studies have linked exposure to fossil fuel pollution to developmental delays in children and higher rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.²
VOCs can also affect your health. They can irritate your throat and cause headaches and dizziness. Worse effects are harm to your central nervous system and increasing cancer risk.
Causes of Fossil Fuel Air Pollution
Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants
Fossil fuel-fired power plants emit nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and even mercury. Living near a power plant or working at one can cause all the health effects listed above. The mercury from power plants can affect the nervous system and the brain. An NIH study shows that living near a fossil fuel-fired power plant increases the rate of hospitalization from asthma.³ While the Clean Air Act regulations apply to these plants, mitigating some broader effects, local effects remain.
Oil and Gas Wells
Living near oil or gas wells can increase your exposure to VOCs, PM2.5 particulate pollution, and nitrous oxide. This can damage your lungs and immune system, making you more susceptible to infectious diseases including COVID-19.
Transportation
Breathing exhaust from cars and trucks can impact your health. Studies show that living near a major roadway increases asthma in children⁴ as well as higher cases of dementia.⁵ As we transition to electric cars, this will improve. However, there will still be issues of breathing the particulate pollution from brakes and tires. This will need to be improved by changing the composition of tires but more importantly, shifting to public transportation.
Gas Stoves
Using a gas stove in your house is like having a mini fossil fuel plant in your kitchen. The fact that it is indoors makes it worse, because there is less space for the pollution to disperse. Cooking with gas releases nitrogen dioxide as well as PM2.5 particulate pollution. Both of these irritate the lungs and are linked to asthma. Children living in a household with gas stoves are 42% more likely to have asthma.⁶ Even worse, gas stoves leak gas even when turned off. This unburned gas contains benzene, a known carcinogen. If you do have a gas stove, it is very important that you have a vent that goes to the outside. But more importantly, switch to an electric stove if you can. The new induction stoves are very energy efficient.
Wildfires
Climate change has increased the number and intensity of wildfires. Breathing wildfire smoke can affect your ability to breathe. It can also cause headaches and irritate your eyes and sinuses and cause cardiovascular problems. Not only does the smoke have particulate pollution and VOCs, you don’t know what else has burned, especially when the fire moves into populated areas where there may be factories and industries with hazardous materials. Some studies have shown that the longer the smoke persists, the more toxic it becomes as it combines with other substances in the air. Wildfire smoke can travel widely, spreading its toxicity as it goes. It’s important to pay attention to the Air Quality Index, AQI, to know when you need to wear a mask, stay indoors, or even temporarily go somewhere else. But more importantly, pay attention to your own symptoms.
Conclusion
Moving away from fossil fuels not only will help reduce the effects of the climate crisis but will also immediately save lives and money because of the reduction in the particulate pollution and VOCs from burning fossil fuels. The EPA policies during Biden’s administration will save 200,000 lives due to reduced air pollution and prevent 100 million asthma attacks by 2050.⁷ If these get rolled back, America’s health will be worse. Trump claims he will have the cleanest air, and wants to make America healthy again. One of the best ways to do that is to reduce the burning of fossil fuels.
SOURCES
References
https://greencitizen.com/blog/what-are-volatile-organic-compounds-vocs/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-health-risks-of-gas-stoves-explained/
https://www.epa.gov/power-sector/human-health-environmental-impacts-electric-power-sector
https://grist.org/science/car-tires-produce-vastly-more-particle-pollution-than-exhausts-tests-show/